India calls for unified, future-ready health security at National One Health Mission Assembly

New Delhi, November 21: Union Minister for Health JP Nadda on Thursday inaugurated the National One Health Mission Assembly 2025 at Bharat Mandapam here through a video address, calling “One Earth, One Health, One Future” the guiding principle for India’s integrated approach to pandemic preparedness and health security. The two-day conclave brings together senior officials, scientists, global partners and experts across human, animal, plant and environmental health systems.

Nadda said India’s One Health strategy represents one of the most ambitious whole-of-government and whole-of-society efforts in public health. The Mission integrates 16 central and state ministries — spanning human health, animal health, agriculture, environment, earth sciences, space, pharmaceuticals and disaster management — to detect, prevent and respond to health threats arising from zoonotic diseases, climate-linked risks and antimicrobial resistance.

Highlighting India’s progress in health research, he pointed to the country’s achievements in rapid vaccine development, including Covaxin, Covishield, Corbevax and the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine. India’s growing capabilities in mRNA, DNA and viral vector platforms, he said, further strengthen the nation’s readiness for future threats. On diagnostics, he noted that innovations such as TrueNat, PathoDetect and CRISPR-based tests, along with genomic surveillance by INSACOG, have dramatically improved detection capabilities.

Nadda said the One Health Mission is already operationalising key activities: integrated surveillance at slaughterhouses, bird sanctuaries, zoos and wastewater systems; joint outbreak investigations; development of medical countermeasures; and the establishment of a national network of 23 BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories. These high-containment facilities, he said, form India’s “first line of defence” against emerging pathogens.

Speaking at the Assembly, NITI Aayog member V. K. Paul said the Mission marks the beginning of a true Jan Andolan for integrated health security. He emphasised the need for swift, coordinated action across sectors to address zoonotic and climate-sensitive diseases, and called for the creation of a new cadre of One Health specialists through joint training and academic integration.

Principal scientific advisor Ajay K. Sood said the Mission represents the culmination of years of effort to bring together what were once siloed domains — human, animal, plant and environmental health — into a unified national framework. For the first time, he noted, 16 key stakeholders including states and union territories are part of a coordinated One Health platform.

Officials said the Assembly provides a critical platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and long-term capacity building. Senior officers from the Department of Health Research, ICMR and partner organisations participated in the event, which also saw the release of the BSL-3 Laboratory Network SOP Compendium.

Nadda concluded by reiterating that India’s One Health Mission will enable early warning systems, strengthen pandemic preparedness and help safeguard the health of humans, animals and the environment alike — ensuring a resilient and future-ready nation.